September 19, 2013

PMU takes a tasteless bet with ad mocking Kennedy assassination

French betting firm PMU has come under fire for poking fun at the assassination of former US President John F. Kennedy in a recent advertisement.

The ad in question features a 30-second clip of a cheering crowd awaiting the President’s motorcade.

Shots ring out and a female passenger dressed like then First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is seen attempting to flee the vehicle.

Then there is a hapless cop who bets another that he can spin his gun around his finger three times “like a cowboy”, accidentally firing off his weapon in the process. The bullet ricochets off a staircase, hits a mailbox and knocks a woman’s ice cream scoop off her cone towards the limousine. The Jackie look-alike is able to flee.

"It wasn't down here," the officers say, pointing upward to suggest another shooter

The ad closes with "You like to bet?" written across the screen, as sirens are heard blazing in the background.

Publicis USA created the ad and has come under fire from the public who overwhelmingly suggest it was made in “poor taste”.